Purse for dancing?

Gigi

I have been taking dance lessons for several months now and was thinking about going out to a club or similar venue to dance. What type of purse is best for this? I don't want anything that I have to leave at a table or at the bar. The SA at Nordie's recommended either a small crossbody or a wristlet. I am leaning toward the crossbody because I think it will swing around less (the wristlet might get annoying continually swinging from my wrist or elbow, since my arm will be up). Those of you who go out dancing, what do you prefer to use?

10 years ago

General

20 replies

Latest reply was from cjh

Greyscale

Veteran

Interesting question. I'd find it hard to dance with a bag, I think. For actual partner dance, I never carry a purse. I try to bring just the bare minimum with me (phone, keys, ID, a few dollars) and leave it somewhere tucked away but in sight, like the pocket of a jacket or inside my street shoes when I change into dance shoes. At the bar where I used to do folk dance, I'd bring a fabric bag with my shoes and wallet etc, and leave it under a table in sight of everything. But it's not a perfect solution, especially with everyone's valuable and easily stolen phones. My city has a lot of theft, but right or wrong I tend to trust my fellow dancers.

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Greyscale, if I am at some kind of bona fide dance event, I would do the same thing as you: just leave the bag out where I can see it. I trust my fellow dancers also. I am more worried about venues that have people other than dancers there, like your bar situation. The only other thing I could think of would be to have some kind of passport pouch, to be worn under clothes, but that creates a whole other set of problems if I need to get something out of it .

10 years ago

anne

Veteran

I had a little cross body bag I used to wear for these situations

10 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

I do a lot of partner dancing (ballroom, salsa etc.) etc. and it is pretty much impossible to dance with any kind of bag. Even a small cross body will swing around when you turn and hit your partner or yourself (learned this the harder way). So i tend to keep my ID/cash/phone in my pockets if possible, or give it one of the guys in the group to keep in his if I have no pockets. I tend to bring a large tote with me since I am usually carrying my dance shoes in it, and other necessities such as cosmetics. I usually just leave it in some corner out of the way and deal with the most crucial items as described. I have been doing this for over 10 years and never had anything missing. Some people/partners tend to get offended if you dance with them and try to somehow deal with a bag ( I am talking about real partner dancing). I have only seen women keep their purses while dancing in free style club dancing.

10 years ago

Anonymous

I like a crossbody better than a wristlet, especially if here is alcohol involved (you know, hypothetically). I've got a mini neutral patent one from Brighton that I like a lot. Can't find it right offhand, but it has two compartments - one where I can put ID and money, and the other where I can put keys, lipstick, and phone. It adjusts well and sits flat at my side, so not a bother when I'm out and about, even if I'm dancing.

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Anne, thanks for the vote on a crossbody. That's the direction I was leaning if I had to pick between the two.

Tanya, you described the situation exactly. If I'm turning around fast, like in swing or something, the crossbody could certainly whack someone. And the wristlet could smack my dance partner in the head with some other moves. The problem is, I rarely have pockets. And there wouldn't necessarily be a guy in my group (I was planning to go with a female friend). But you make a good point about dance partners being offended. I would be at the club primarily for dancing, so this is important.

Raven1, that sounds like a good purse. Most of the crossbodies I saw today, although small, were not very flat. Maybe I will keep looking.

10 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Hmm, if no pockets are available, then it gets tough.

I have left my purse with all the important stuff at some semi-visible place, but that was relying on luck.

If you drive there (or go in someones car), then you could leave pretty much everything in the car other than ID/credit card/keys and put those in of those wrist wallets that look pretty much like large cuff bracelets. I have seen some girls at salsa wear those. Here is one from Etsy, but if you search the site there are quite a few.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/2.....e&utm...

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks, Tanya! I didn't know such a thing existed as a wrist wallet. I would probably have to wear mine on my upper arm because my wrists are insanely tiny (can't find any bracelets that don't fall right off over my hand, argh!). But even if I have to wear it unconventionally, it is still less intrusive than the wristlet or the crossbody.

10 years ago

danskogirl

Active Member

For just casual bar/club dancing, I use a small crossbody.

If you're doing "real" partner dancing, maybe you could look at running accessories, since runners often use wrist wallets, upper arm bands or waist belts.

Something like this wrist wallet: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orig.....B00UXHSRLY

Or this waist belt, though that would probably have to go under your dance clothes unless you're willing to have it ruin the line of your outift: http://www.amazon.com/Amphipod.....B00BBGISTM

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Danskogirl, thanks for the running accessories idea. I will check it out!

I also found this on a website. It's kind of interesting, though it's pretty expensive: http://girlygogarter.com/

I'm a little skeptical of it. It seems like the weight of stuff in it would pull it off the leg. There's a retailer in my city who carries them, so if I'm in that neck of the woods (I rarely am), I may check it out in person.

10 years ago

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Not sure if this would fit your style but there are some pretty fancy waist purses out there, not clunky like a fanny pack, more like this YSL vintage one. Etsy has a bunch of different ones too.

10 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

My husband and I have been taking ballroom dancing lessons for about 18 months. It's so much fun! So far, we haven't danced in "the wild" yet. If it were me, I would use a cross body with the least amount of stuff possible. But I also thought a travel wallet that hangs around your neck tucked inside your clothes might work.

http://www.sierratradingpost.c.....essed=true

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10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Rambling Ann, yes, I had thought about some kind of fancy fanny pack. I guess googling "waist purse" would bring up some more refined options.

JAileen, I'll check out the travel wallet idea. I knew that these things were used to hold passports, but I didn't know the proper name of the item. Now I'll have something to google.

10 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

I think I'd go for a small and flat crossbody bag too. Leave the wallet at home, just put phone, keys, cards and money into it. I think the key is to make sure the strap is short enough that it doesn't swing a lot when you turn.

10 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

I've wondered how the length of the strap will affect the swinging too, Astrid. The problem is, I'm quite short, so most straps don't adjust to be short enough. But I could always get new holes punched by a cobbler if the strap adjusts with a buckle. I'll be at the mall later this week and will look for a crossbody that is very flat and see how that works.

10 years ago

AmoraLynn

Member

I love a waist bag like this for keeping essentials but freeing up hand for dancing. https://www.amazon.com/Practic.....ef=pd_bxgy

6 years ago

Bijou

Veteran

This is a hard one, because whilst I like the idea of a leather cuff to keep a credit card in - my absolute minimum that I take out in the evening is - iPhone, credit card, keys and tissues. I would not trust a leg garter to hold onto a phone - credit card and cash yes - but not keys or a phone.

I would probably buy a cross body bag that is long enough to be belted across a dress (so it would not flap about). Since you are tiny, it sounds as though getting a cross body to sit below your waist would not be too difficult to find.

I have attached a photo of a bag that I have seen locally, small but big enough for the bare essentials - and the belt is Gucci - so only in my dreams... but it is nice to dream from time to time

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6 years ago

Anonymous

I like the idea of the wrist cuffs, but wouldnt fit phone or keys! Waist bags just always seem so clunky, and wouldnt all the stuff bounce around in there?

6 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I'd have to be swinging pretty hard to get my little Coach crossbody to fly out, but if I were buying something for this express purpose, I'd probably get a crossbody phone case that had just enough room for a couple keys & cards. https://shop.nordstrom.com/c/p.....sbody-bags But my preference is what Tanya & Greyscale mention--pockets ftw!

6 years ago

cjh

(website)

Veteran

I have a little, flat, black velvet, embroidered zip bag (5”x8” approx.) with fringe on the bottom, and a long cord handle. It is very light weight, and by tying the cord at the right length, it basically serves as a crossbody “pocket” that fits my phone, key, small card case and lipstick. It’s very useful for any festive occasion where I don’t want to carry a larger bag, and I don’t have pockets. I’m not sure how it would act if I were dancing.

I bought it at a fair trade import shop, not for profit, several years ago.

6 years ago

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